The sound of chill wind passing through Endal's ears, thin forest trees littered by snow surrounds him, sounds of splashing ocean waves can be heard from a distance, the sky burning orange red as the sun sets on the horizon.Endal could see the trees becoming less as he walk, he was nearing at the edge of the forest, leaving behind shallow footprints above snow.A few moments later the forest ends, seeing a plain of blank snow, in the distance a wall of wood can be seen, two guards in thick fur clothing standing close at the entrance gate weapons in hand.One guard sees a single humanoid silhouette at the distance, forest of trees at the background, he signals the other guard beside him to look and told to be vigilant to the oncoming hooded figure.Once the hooded figure was close enough, the guard shouted "Halt! Remove yer hood stranger and identify yer self." the guard demanded.Endal removed his hood and placed it at the back of his neck and let a small smile upon the guards."By fraeyr...Endal. Are we glad to see ye back lad." The guard said as he let out a sigh of relief, as so did the other guard with him. "We thought ye dead, ye have been gone for days m'lad. We started to worry that something bad might've happen to ye.""I suppose you could say that. I ran into some...inconvenience. But nothing to worry about now." The guards smiled upon hearing his words.Endal noticed that the guards were cautious earlier. "Did something happen while i was gone?" The guards let out a rather disgruntled sigh. "Yes... something did laddie." Says in a hesitant tone."We've been attacked two nights ago." Endal became worried, thoughts of worry went through his head. "Beasts?" Endal questioned."No, Raiders... A hundred of them." The guard replied with a grim tone and an angry expression. "They suddenly appeared during a moonless night, at first we thought it was merely beasts scrounging around the settlement. Then we heard loud shouts in the distance.""They all suddenly charged at us, we were almost caught off guard, rushed to the gate they did. By fraeyr's fortune we managed to organize thanks to Gundr, drove them back before they could reach the gate, woke up the rest of our lads from their sleep and gathered our bows and axe. Ferocious these mad men were, cut many down and pelted them with arrows we did, but they still kept coming. Till we killed every single one of them." "But sadly, a number of us died during the defense...Gundr was of them." The guard explained with a deep sad expression yet a trace of anger can be seen on his face.Gundr was beloved by the hunters that guarded the settlement, immature at times but brave when it comes to defending his home.It was utterly shocking to Endal. Raiders were not new around the settlement. A few every month or so tries their luck from time to time, but a hundred all in one night was unheard of.Desperation might have drove these men to attack, as winter was looming, food and resources are scarce during such freezing season.Most settlements are unprepared or simply lacking when winter comes, grim acts of desperation are committed when men are of empty bellies. Family was not off limits on the list prey for the starving.Worse acts are committed for less in some establishments.Lynsk village is one of the fewest and longest stable communities in Aesgar, with plenty to fish on nearby shores and a rather relatively warmer climate due to being close to the southern regions.Beasts of prey were also plenty and less aggressive, passing travelers seldomly trade with them since most prefer to keep to themselves for various reasons.Endal is filled with worry and thought. First the wyvern, a mighty beasts who he encountered in an unusual location for it's kind. These serpents tend to only hunt near beyond north of the whispering mountains, so it was highly unusual for it to appear south.Second, the raiders. Such large numbers of marauders was unheard of to Endal, not to mention the way they acted based on what he heard.True, marauders could do desperate acts at times, but the way the guard describes that attacked them sounded more like acts of madness than desperation. Or perhaps the desperation was the motivation for such madness."Either way laddie, ye should go inside before the sun truly sets." Told the guard, invitingly patting Endal at the back to go inside. "Mm, yes i should, thank you."The gate closed as he entered.Cabins of varying sizes can be seen, market of fish and meat at the side of the frozen muddy road, a pavilion at the center with large campfire within and short chairs surrounding the campfire and benches within the sides of the structure.The clanging of hammers and anvil can be heard, children playing and running at the side of the road can be seen laughing as they go, sounds of crowds at every direction.The smell of food hanging in the air, sound of clashing wood by men and women training and sparring with each other. Endal walked on muddy snow covered road, glancing and looking side to side at market stalls, looking for ingredients to cook until he saw something of interest.After he had bought what he needed, he went straight to his home at the western most part of the village.He slowly opened his door, dimly lit lanterns lighted the cabin. "I'm back." "Endal!" Shouted Leah, his younger sister, she ran toward Endal hugging him by the stomach as she reached him. "Ow, i missed you too Leah but... please don't hug too hard." he was still feeling the injury he sustained during his fight against the wyvern in the gray forest.Leah slowly let go as she heard his explanation that he was hurt, she looked up to her brother with a worried expression."Hm. No need to be worried Leah, I am nevertheless alright in the end." he assures her. Kneeling down as he put his hand on her head with one hand."How is mother?" Endal asked "She's awake but still in bed... She was worried sick about you" She somberly replied to Endal.Their mother had been bedridden for over four winters now, she is still able to hold conversations from time to time but she could not stand up, her legs trembles and collapses whenever she tried.Endal have been trying to find a cure for her illness ever since, traveling to various and often dangerous places, to abandoned settlements for ingredients for a cure. Even going to different settlements, ones that doesn't outright deny him entry him at least, asking for medicines and listening to stories a possible cure for illnesses.He had developed many medicines that helped the other inhabitants of the village but could not make one that helped his mother's.Resulting him venturing farther from the settlement, encountering bandits and monsters along the way of his search, some he avoided whenever possible, some forcing him to fight, some he let live after, some he was forced to take a life.He did not like taking a life when it was not necessary as he was a seer, a profession where one should value life above all."Alright... here i brought food on the way back, heat this up and prepare dinner. I'll check on mother." He told Leah.She nodded and took the bag full of food and started to prepare dinner for them.Endal walked into the room where their bedridden mother is laying. "Mother." "Endal... ahh my sweet boy, i thought something ill has happened to you.. i prayed to Fráeyr not to let anything happen to you. I thank her for bringing you back safely." His mother told him as Endal went and hold her hand with his."Yes... how are you feeling?" He could not tell his mother that he had a fight with a winged serpent, for her illness is already burden to her. He could not add anymore."I am feeling better already... I am sure this illness will pass before winter comes." She let out a weary chuckle as she says so.Endal however was far from reassured, he knows she only said so as to not make her son worry anymore. But he nevertheless smiled at her comment.The smell of steamy broth and roasted meat filled the room. "I guess dinner's ready. I'll bring some to you here." Endal stood from his chair and went to the other side of the door.He helped Leah to bring some of the food to their mother's room, a bowl of broth, steaming thin cloud warming up the air, Roasted beef still sizzling on a wooden plate, as well as chopped cooked fish. Putting it on the table beside the bed.Endal helped his mother sit upright in bed. Slowly feeding her broth with a wooden spoon, Leah grabbed a piece of roasted beef and placed it on her plate, sitting at the chair beside the table."You should eat too Endal." His mother requested. "I will after you two do." He replied.The three held a delightful conversation, some jester and playful banter. Leah eating her beef down to it's bone and grabbed another piece. Whenever her brother was gone they only had to eat vegetables from the market as meat is considered a luxury. Fish was also plenty but Leah was sick of it.After a few moments plates and bowls were empty. Leah let a small burp, touching her stomach and almost laying on the chair.Leah then cleaned up after a few minutes of rest. Endal slow helped her mother lay down on her bed to rest.He and Leah then exited the room and slowly closed the doors. Leah started to yawn, obviously tired from taking care for their mother while he was gone."You should also get some night's sleep. I'll take care of the rest." "Okay..." Leah walked into room with an exhausted gesture.Endal started cleaning and organizing the house after a few moments his sister went to her room.After all is settled, he went to a room, not his bed room but to his lab. Various tools hanging on the walls, differing herbs and plants sealed in wooden and metal cases.Shelves of books containing recorded recipes and cures found during his journeys.He grabbed the blue ivy out of his pouch with a fur glove, slowly put it down on a blank table, grabbing some tools hanging above.He started mixing various herbs and plants to the blue ivy, clattering tools filling the room, opening books to reiterate on previous attempts.The smell of mixed herbs was intriguing to the nose. Bathed in clear water on metal bowl turning it a hue of blue and green."Frilgen" A small fire ignited at the palm of his hand, mere seconds later the water started to boil, turning dim blue.He began to smile as he believe it was working. But...The dimming blue water turned dark purple, it's glow dies as it turned.It was a failure. Endal then put his hands on the table in between the bowl, his hands turning from open palm into fist.Frustration growing within him, his face turn sour. He wanted to rage, throw everything in the room, scream in frustration. Only the thought of his sister and mother prevented him from doing so.He let out a deep sigh, a look of defeat as he looked to the floor.He grab a book and wrote on an empty page, scribbled words and letters, at the end of the sentence wrote failure.He set his tools and unused herbs back into it's original place, the bowl of dark purple placed on a metal container for one day it might have some use.He reorganized himself, leaving the room and sitting on a armchair faced toward the fireplace, igniting it with a fire spell.Staring into the fireplace, he lets out another sigh of frustration. Thinking about his mother.Despite her lively attitude, she was getting weaker. Endal noticing the small differences every time he came back home. Leah may not notice but he did.Her time was coming fast he could tell, if he cannot find a cure soon, she may never be able to stand at all... or worse... wake up.He doesn't know exactly when or how she came of ill, he simply noticed seven winters ago that she was having trouble standing from her bed, till one day when they were wandering through town, she suddenly collapsed.Various village shamans had tried to cure her with all sorts of rituals and medicines they could think of but none had worked.He decided to journey through many places in search of a cure, finding many medicines.Some folk also had differing illnesses, whenever he came back he applied the medicines to the villagers and most were cured, some he could not save as the illnesses has become too severe, even for him.Seers and elders also look up to him with admiration, asking the state of the outside world and about stories of his travels. For most do not venture outside the wall, at least, not far from it. Hunters do venture from time to time but only near the settlement, for Aesgar is filled with unexpected dangers.Lynsk acted as a isolationist settlement, Although not hostile to every visitors that wanders to their village, they do not let outsiders get inside, only trading outside the walls.Endal started to drift to sleep on his armchair, the fireplace cracking of burning wood.As he slept, he saw the same vision as he had on all of his previous dreams. A tall dark obelisk in the distance on the middle of blank white snow and utterly dark sky.But there was something different this time, his legs were no longer rooted in ice. this surprised Endal as all his previous dreams he could not even move.He started to walk toward the distant obelisk in silence, as he came closer he hears differing whispers, in a tongue he could not discern, yet felt familiar.The whispering became louder, he felt agony and regret in this whispers, still he pressed forward. the whispers began to fade as he finally gotten closer.He was standing close to the obelisk merely fifteen feet away, he observed the structure and notice it was made of ice, yet inside was so dark it didn't reflect anything.Then suddenly a loud ominous voice boomed, dark blue thunders crackled in the sky, the snow beneath him began to vibrate and float.His head felt like it was going to split, grabbing his head as if trying to attempt to hold it together, his body felt being wrapped in freezing barbwire, his heart started to race in rapid beats."RETURN! RETURN! RETURN!" The ominous voice shouting and screaming in interchanging pitch and tone.Endal let out a scream of agony. Suddenly a sound of horn in the distance behind him stopped the pain, waking him up.He was panting and sweating trying to catch his breath.It was merely a dream, he wanted to assure himself, but it felt real.Again the sound of a horn echoed throughout the air. It was the guards above the wall, signalling the villagers that something outside the wall was coming.Many able bodied men and women woke from their sleep and hurriedly wore thick fur clothes, some wearing armor. picked up their swords, spears and bows and rushed to the village gate, some stationed themselves above the walls.Some shouted to those who cannot fight to go back to their walls and bar themselves in until further notice.Leah suddenly burst from her room and looked out the window. "Leah! get off from there! go to mother and take her to the storage room!" Shouted Endal to Leah.Endal remembered the raider story from the guard earlier, he assumes that this is similar to that."But-" "Just do it now! go! i will go take a look at what is happening, i will come back when things have settled." Endal told her hurriedly. Leah hesitantly agreed and went to their mother's room to carry her up.Endal ran outside the cabin and went straight to the entrance gate to help.When he arrived, climbed up the stairs and looked at the distance, under the light of a half moon, dark figures numbering in hundreds dotted the blank snowy plains.Clothe in dark fur of various recognizable animal heads, from deer, to bears, to wolves.Some wore black iron armor and helmet, many did not and on their shaved forehead, marks of differing scriptures and runes can be seen.Armed with various weapons. Shields, spears, axe, spiked mace and hammers.Then one man covered in gray dented iron armor from feet to shoulder, his misshapen beard reaching to his torso and markings on his bald head. Stepped forward to the front."Gúun-dir sten gárn brun-brákén!" Shouted the iron clad warrior in a unfamiliar tongue, raising his war axe high in the air.A large trailing ball of fire fling into the air behind him, heading toward the village walls.Endal and the rest of the defenders looked in shock, staring silently at the ball of fire headed right at themIn mere seconds the fireball hit the wall beside the gate, exploding in fiery crash and emitting a loud deafening boom.Knocking Endal and several guard beside him sideways.Endal coughed as he stood up, his ears hearing high pitched ringing. Eventually the ringing fades, he saw the other guards covered in flame, turning and flinging in chaotic directions attempting to put out the flames, others tried to help put it out. Some were lay still in the ground still burning.He saw a large smoldering hole from where a wall of wood once stood. The invaders gave them no time to process what had happened and started to charge with blood lust war cries.Endal also still reeling from the shock, reorganized himself and shouted to his disorganized fellow defenders. "Collect yourselves! the invaders comes! repel these maddened cravens!" He shouted.The defenders stood and rallied to his command, flocking to the hole, spears pointed.Archers letting arrows loose from their bows.The defense of Lynsk has begun.